Abstract: Large numbers of polynucleotides with random sequences are used collectively as a molecular anti-counterfeiting tag. The polynucleotides are sequenced, placed on an item, and the sequences stored in an electronic record. Authenticity is determined by collecting the polynucleotides from a labeled item, sequencing those polynucleotides, and comparing the sequence to that stored in the electronic record. The number of polynucleotides used as the tag may be adjusted by aliquoting the original batch of randomly synthesized polynucleotides. Complexity of the polynucleotide tags may be increased by assembling individual polynucleotides from multiple dilutions to create longer assembled polynucleotides. Even if the sequences of the polynucleotides are known, the complexity of the tag can make the forgery of the tag itself technically difficult and prohibitively expensive.

Abstract: A downhole tool includes a tubular having an outer surface, an inner surface, a recess extending from the inner surface toward the outer surface, and an opening extending from the outer surface to the recess. A hydraulic passage extends through the tubular. The hydraulic passage includes an inlet, a first and a second branch. The second branch is fluidically exposed at the inner surface. A piston is arranged in the recess. A locking ring is arranged radially inwardly of the piston and a member is arranged in the tubular spaced from the inner surface. Application of hydraulic pressure in the first branch urges the piston radially inwardly clamping the locking ring against the member and application of hydraulic pressure in the second branch urges the member axially in a first direction relative to the tubular.

Abstract: Methods, non-transitory computer readable media, serial monitor devices, fiducial tracking knee braces devices, and systems that facilitate generation of improved three-dimensional models from two-dimensional multi-planar images are disclosed. With this technology, correspondence of a patient's knee angle is substantially maintained across x-ray images to improve fiducial-marker-to-bone relationships within the images and facilitate improved scaling and registration of the images to generate a three-dimensional model of the knee. In particular, orientation sensor(s) attached to an improved knee brace device allows a user to substantially match the position of the knee across anterior/posterior and lateral x-ray images so that the images can be scaled and oriented more effectively, resulting in more accurate three-dimensional models and improved preoperative planning for patients.

Abstract: High surface area coatings are applied to solid substrates to increase the surface area available for solid-phase synthesis of polymers. The high surface area coatings use three-dimensional space to provide more area for functional groups to bind polymers than an untreated solid substrate. The polymers may be oligonucleotides, polypeptides, or another type of polymer. The solid substrate is a rigid supportive layer made from a material such as glass, a silicon material, a metal material, and plastic. The coating may be thin films, hydrogels, microparticles. The coating may be made from a metal oxide, a high-? dielectric, a low-? dielectric, an etched metal, a carbon material, or an organic polymer. The functional groups may be hydroxyl groups, amine groups, thiolate groups, alkenes, n-alkenes, alkalines, N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS)-activated esters, polyaniline, aminosilane groups, silanized oxides, oligothiophenes, and diazonium compounds.

Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for translating informal utterances into formal texts. Informal utterances may include words in abbreviation forms or typographical errors. The informal utterances may be processed by mapping each word in an utterance into a well-defined token. The mapping from the words to the tokens may be based on a context associated with the utterance derived by analyzing the utterance in a character-by-character basis. The token that is mapped for each word can be one of a vocabulary token that corresponds to a formal word in a pre-defined word corpus, an unknown token that corresponds to an unknown word, or a masked token. Formal text may then be generated based on the mapped tokens. Through the processing of informal utterances using the techniques disclosed herein, the informal utterances are both normalized and sanitized.

Abstract: A fin sealer and method to seal a radially outwardly directed fin of a tubular web structure by directing the fin through a nip between a first and a second fin sealing rollers while communicating heat to the fin through at least one of the fin sealing rollers is provided. The fin sealer is configured to maintain a nominal face-to-face relation between an outer annulus of the first fin sealing roller and an outer annulus of the second fin sealing roller with a flexible connection between a hub element of the second fin sealing roller with the outer annulus of the second fin sealing roller.

Abstract: This disclosure provides electrochemically-cleavable linkers with cleavage potentials that are less than the redox potential of the solvent in which the linkers are used. In some applications, the solvent may be water or an aqueous buffer solution. The linkers may be used to link a nucleotide to a bound group. The linkers include a cleavable group which may be one of a methoxybenzyl alcohol, an ester, a propargyl thioether, or a trichloroethyl ether. The linkers may be cleaved in solvent by generating an electrode potential that is less than the redox potential of the solvent. In some implementations, an electrode array may be used to generate localized electrode potentials which selectively cleave linkers bound to the activated electrode. Uses for the linkers include attachment of blocking groups to nucleotides in enzymatic oligonucleotide synthesis.

Abstract: Selectively controllable cleavable linkers include electrochemically-cleavable linkers, photolabile linkers, thermolabile linkers, chemically-labile linkers, and enzymatically-cleavable linkers. Selective cleavage of individual linkers may be controlled by changing local conditions. Local conditions may be changed by activating electrodes in proximity to the linkers, exposing the linkers to light, heating the linkers, or applying chemicals. Selective cleaving of enzymatically-cleavable linkers may be controlled by designing the sequences of different sets of the individual linkers to respond to different enzymes. Cleavable linkers may be used to attach polymers to a solid substrate. Selective cleavage of the linkers enables release of specific polymers from the solid substrate. Cleavable linkers may also be used to attach protecting groups to the ends of growing polymers. The protecting groups may be selectively removed by cleavage of the linkers to enable growth of specific polymers.

Abstract: A mass reducing projectile is provided. The mass reducing projectile includes a shell, one or more weights, and a low melt fusible alloy. The one or more weights are disposed within the shell. The low melt fusible alloy is disposed within the shell so as to encase the one or more weights within the shell.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein may involve a computing system that is operable to (i) present, via a visual interface, a virtual shape associated with a three-dimensional (3D) coordinate system, (ii) present, via the visual interface, a visual indicator positioned in proximity to the virtual shape and indicating that a specified spatial parameter of the virtual shape will be modified along a specified dimension of the 3D coordinate system in response to a given type of user input associated with the visual indicator, (iii) while presenting the visual indicator, detect an instance of the given type of user input associated with the visual indicator, and (iv) after detecting the instance of the given type of user input, update the virtual shape that is presented via the visual interface by modifying the specified spatial parameter of the virtual shape along the specified dimension.

Abstract: A simple multi-directional, multi-port array antenna structure is disclosed that can be used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to direction finding (DF) and beam-forming applications in receive and transmit modes, respectively. The disclosed antenna structure offers unique functionalities in both receive and transmit modes. For DF applications in the receive mode, the back-end of the antenna structure features a power sensing mechanism to monitor the power received at all ports. In the transmit mode, the disclosed antenna structure is used for beamforming applications by providing individual port excitation and using antenna arrays.

Abstract: A data storage medium is disclosed comprising a two-dimensional (2D) support structure onto which artificially synthesized DNA molecules encoding digital information are placed and then covered with a protective layer. The 2D support structure is formed from a material such as metal foil, glass, or plastic. The 2D support structure may be functionalized with positively charged molecules to improve DNA adhesion. The DNA is protected from degradation by encapsulation in a protective layer of a non-reactive material such as silica or a thin layer of metal. A process for storing DNA on 2D support structures is also disclosed. Correlation of specific DNA molecules with a physical storage location on a 2D support structure provides geometric addressability for selective access to specific digital information.

Abstract: An indexing valve system includes a tubular having an inner surface portion defining a passage portion, a first plurality of indexing components provided on the inner surface and a second plurality of indexing components provided on the inner surface portion. A valve sleeve is arranged in the passage portion. The valve sleeve includes a first plurality of indexing elements that selectively engage with the first plurality of indexing components, a second plurality of indexing elements that selectively engage with the second plurality of indexing components, and an inner surface section defining a passage section. The inner surface section includes a plurality of indexing step members. An insert extends into the passage section. The insert includes an outer surface supporting an indexer that selectively engages with the plurality of indexing step members to shift the valve sleeve between the first plurality of indexing components and the second plurality of indexing components.

Abstract: Electrode controlled hybridization is used to change local pH and selectively assemble oligonucleotide complexes on the surface of a microelectrode array. The oligonucleotide complexes have sticky ends that provide locations for subsequent oligonucleotide complexes to hybridize. The order in which specific oligonucleotide complexes are joined together encodes information. Controlled activation of individual electrodes in the microelectrode array creates negative voltages that reduces a buffer solution and raises the pH in proximity to the electrodes. At higher pH levels double-stranded oligonucleotides de-hybridize. Nicks between oligonucleotide complexes and oligonucleotides anchored to the microelectrode array are closed creating covalent attachments. De-hybridized single-stranded oligonucleotides are removed leaving only the oligonucleotides connected to microelectrode array.

Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for generating and using a machine learning model configured to perform cross-domain named entity recognition. The machine learning model is generated to accept a sentence associated with a target domain and to predict, for at least a word in the sentence, a corresponding entity associated with the target domain, without having been trained using training data associated with the target domain. In particular, the machine learning model is trained using only training data associated with a source domain. Based on derived relationships between entities associated with the source domain and entities associated with the target domain, the machine learning model is configured to transfer knowledge associated with the source domain to the target domain such that the machine learning model can map words within a sentence to entities associated with the target domain.

Abstract: Photon generating substrates for light-directed oligonucleotide synthesis are disclosed. Light is generated within a solid-state stack that supports growing oligonucleotides. The light may be generated by microLEDs, a pass-through liquid crystal panel, or an LCoS system. Light passes through a transmissive layer on which growing oligonucleotides are attached. Patterning of the light is controlled by selective activation of the microLEDs or by selective control of the transparency of a liquid crystal layer. Photolabile blocking groups are selectively removed by exposure to patterned light emitted from the photon generating substrate.

Abstract: Fluorophores are used during the synthesis of oligonucleotides to achieve real-time quality control of the synthesis process. Fluorescence may indicate successful addition of individual nucleotides to a growing oligonucleotide strand or removal of a blocking group. The oligonucleotides may be created by enzymatic synthesis using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT). The synthesis is performed on an addressable array so that oligonucleotides with different sequences are created in parallel on different regions of the array. The oligonucleotide sequences are predetermined and the locations of synthesis on the array are controlled. Observed fluorescence is compared to expected locations of fluorescence as determined by the oligonucleotide sequences and the arrangement on the array. Thus, the fidelity of oligonucleotide synthesis is checked as synthesis proceeds. If a variation is found, a mitigating action is taken such as repeating addition of a species of nucleotide or repeating a deblocking step.

Abstract: A virtual passenger service system may aggregate inventory data from various vendors by interfacing with the passenger service system of each vendor. The inventory data may be maintained in an in-memory, graph-based cache in which the inventory data is represented as a collection of interconnected nodes corresponding to airports, departure dates, airlines, flights, and arrival dates. To prevent data decay, contents in the cache may be refreshed on-demand and in accordance with a dynamically determined schedule. Interline itineraries generated by searching the cache may be refined based on vendor specific pricing, routing, and fare construction rules. The virtual passenger service system may include a machine learning model to support the dynamic pricing of interline itineraries. The virtual passenger service system may further support the partial modification of an interline itinerary, which may be realized without canceling and rebooking the interline itinerary in its entirety.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to chemokine CXCR4 receptor modulators and uses related thereto. The receptor modulators can be formulated to form pharmaceutical compositions comprising the disclosed compounds or pharmaceutically acceptable salts or prodrugs thereof. The compositions may be used for managing CXCR4 related conditions, typically prevention or treatment of viral infections abnormal cellular proliferation, retinal degeneration, inflammatory diseases, or as an immunostimulant or immunosuppressant or for managing cancer and may be administered with another active ingredient such as an antiviral agent or chemotherapeutic agent.